The invention relates to a multi-strand chain conveyor, in which the conveying members are provided with two coupling elements engaging in identically oriented connecting links of adjacent chain strands, each of the coupling elements possessing an angled projection, one leg of which largely fills the clear interior space of the connecting link associated to it and the other leg of which, forming an angled free end, engages in each case behind a longitudinal side of the connecting chain link.
In a chain conveyor of the abovementioned type which is known from German Utility Model 1,931,880 the coupling elements are formed by pins whose ends, bent at right angles, form angled projections which engage in the clear inner spaces of horizontal links, either all from above or all from below. The known chain conveyor offers the advantage that it can be produced at economical cost with comparatively low production effort due to its simplicity. The reason why it nonetheless fails to give full satisfaction resides in the fact that the connecting links connected to the coupling elements can execute undesirably extensive pivoting movements about their longitudinal axis which impair the reliability of the connection between the chain strands and the conveying members.
In order to eliminate the safety risks indicated, in the case of a chain conveyor known from German Offenlegungsschrift 3,304,601 two coupling elements which are connected to one another directly or by an intermediate piece are allocated to each connecting link and form a positive-fitting seating for the longitudinal sides of the connecting links which they encompass. The increased security of the second design is associated with a substantial increase in cost which militates against its use in many cases.
Finally, German Utility Model 1,853,977 has disclosed a chain conveyor with coupling elements which also possess angled projections, though in this case it is not the leg connected to the coupling element but the leg forming the angled end of the projection which protrudes into the free inner space of a connecting link, and does so without substantially filling the clear inner space of that link. In this design the legs of the projections which form the angled ends and engage in consecutive connecting links of the same chain strands do admittedly point in opposite directions, but even so the securing of the chain strands against rotary movements about their longitudinal axis does leave something to be desired, quite apart from the fact that the known chain conveyor presupposes an alternating arrangement, on opposite sides of the chain strand, of the coupling elements allocated to each chain strand.